Sydney Sweeney’s ‘Christy’ Becomes Streaming Hit on HBO Max After Flopping in Theaters

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Sydney Sweeney is continuing to prove her star power, succeeding both in theaters and on TV. After the hit film The Housemaid, she’s now leading Euphoria, which is currently the most popular show on HBO Max following its Season 3 release. Surprisingly, she also has the #1 streamed movie – a 2025 sports drama that didn’t perform well in cinemas.

The movie Christy stars Ashley Sweeney as Christy Martin, a famous female boxer who rose to prominence in the 1990s. The film tells the true story of her boxing career and the personal challenges she overcame, including a difficult and abusive relationship with her husband, who attempted to kill her in 2010.

The movie Christy, featuring Ben Foster, Merritt Wever, Katy O’Brian, Ethan Embry, and Chad L. Coleman, is currently the top film on HBO Max in the U.S. after premiering on April 10th. Despite receiving a high 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, the film underperformed in theaters last December, earning only $2 million at the box office compared to its $15 million budget.

‘Christy’ Resulted in an Online Scuffle

In 2017, Martin married Lisa Holewyne, a previous competitor for his attention. He later defended actress Sydney Sweeney when she faced criticism for playing a lesbian character despite not identifying as LGBTQ+. Ruby Rose, who almost had a role in the film, was Sweeney’s most vocal critic. After the movie performed poorly in cinemas, Rose publicly called Sweeney a “cretin” and blamed her for the film’s failure on the social media platform Threads.

The initial script for the Christy Martin film was amazing and deeply impactful. I was set to play the character Cherry, and many of us working on the project shared a personal connection to the story – most of us were actually part of the LGBTQ+ community. That connection is a big reason I continued acting. Losing out on roles is common in this industry. However, it was incredibly hurtful to see the film’s publicist blame its failure on me, claiming it was ‘for the people.’ The people don’t want to see someone who actively dislikes them pretending to represent their lives. That was a terrible decision, and the film deserved a better outcome. Christy Martin deserved better.

The day after Rose shared her thoughts online, Martin used Instagram to support Sweeney, describing her as a friend and someone she stands with. Martin wrote, “I’ve always stood up for what I believe in, and that includes fighting for others. Recently, I’ve noticed some people unfairly attacking my friend, Sydney Sweeney.”

Syd put incredible effort into this film, and she did it for me, for my story, and for everyone else who’s struggling in private. I want everyone to understand how important Syd is – she’s a true friend and supporter!

Sydney Sweeney Is “Proud” of ‘Christy’

Although Sweeney didn’t address Rose’s remarks about the film Christy directly, she publicly expressed pride in the entire team’s work. In an Instagram post, she thanked everyone from director David Michôd to the moviegoers, calling the experience “one of the greatest honors of my life.” She also emphasized her belief that the story Martin shared “could save lives.”

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2026-04-14 15:33